Author

Date of Graduation

Document Type

Degree Name

Degree Level

Department

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology

Advisor/Mentor

Dr. Leslie Edgar

Committee Member/Reader

Mrs. Casandra Cox

Committee Member/Second Reader

Dr. Jefferson Miller

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to discover which media outlets selected Edinburgh, Scotland consumers were using and why they chose those outlets to gain information. This study was conducted using a survey instrument with convenience sampling (N = 39) in Scotland during the summer 2016. It was found that social media is the primary source for news and timeliness is the most important factor when choosing a news source. Another objective for the study was to determine peak viewing times and primary topics of interest. Peak viewing times were observed to be mornings and evenings primarily. Primary topics of interest were political and entertainment. Recommendations for this study are focused on research and practice for each study objective. One recommendation is to conduct this research on a larger scale; while study results support previous findings outlined in the review of literature, the research from this study would have been enhanced with a larger sample. Additionally, industry should review the results and findings from this research and identify if social media efforts should increase in their communication efforts as a way to increase viewership in this digital era.